Those who dream big make it big.

This town’s big dreams goes back a long time ago when its people kept the name of a President’s wife as its own. With bigger dreams now, its people again picked two of the country’s most prominent names to stake its claim as Bohol’s Aquino country and perhaps earn for itself a sturdy foothold on its over-all local development plans. And when it did that, no less than a profusely thankful President Benigno Simeon Aquino III choppered down here to inaugurate a new state of the art municipal town hall. It also made history as the first Bohol town, which hosted Philippine President Aquino, who first came to Bohol a year and a few months after being elected as the country’s top executive. Trinidad, the town whose namesake is that of the wife of former President Manuel Roxas, earlier picked former President Corazon Aquino to name the town’s new People’s Park.

It also names an air-conditioned hall in its newly inaugurated government building, Sen. Benigno S. Aquino. On this, the President said, “hayaan niyo ring pasalamatan ko ang pamunuan ng inyong lungsod sa pagkilala sa aking mga magulang—sa pag-dedicate sa Session Hall ng bulwagang ito sa aking ama, at sa Conference Hall at People’s Park naman para sa aking ina.”

 Trinidad under Mayor Roberto Cajes may have a reason to do so. It was President Aquino who allowed the release of the remaining P17 million needed to complete the structure. Cajes, who idolizes Aquino said he looks up to the president’s transparent leadership and accountability and highlights his appreciation for the release of the funds after it was suspended during the past elections. In his message before a crowd of Trinidadnons, President Aquino said he did not hesitate to support the town hall project, which he knows would become a center of a straighter and more efficient service to the people.

“…hindi ako nag-alinlangang suportahan ang pagpapaayos ng inyong munisipyo dahil mulat akong ang makikinabang dito ay ang mga kapwa-kawani rin natin sa gobyerno, at ang mga pinagsisilbihan nilang mga Boholano. Kaakibat nito, tiwala naman akong magiging sentro ito ng mas matuwid at mas mabutingpagseserbisyo para sa lungsod ninyo,” the president said.

In his calls for better service to the people, Aquino said this would be hampered by steaming offices, obsolete equipment and snail-paced internet connection. Trindad recently completed a new town hall building which features full internet connectivity, networked offices and spacious rooms of transparent glass. I would agree, good facility is connected to a stronger capacity to serve our people, he stressed in Filipino. “Ganito na po tayo ngayon: Dahil maganda, maayos, at maaliwalas ang munisipyo—papasok si Juan dela Cruz sa pintuan nito nang nakangiti. At dahil naman napaglingkuran siya nang mabuti, lalabas din siya sa pinto nang nakangiti,” the president beamed. For a town that has earned the admiration of the President, Trinidad’s big dreams has hoisted it to model the country’s vision of government service, transparent, efficient and accountable. (Rey Anthony Chiu)